The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-25
THE MORMONS.
Shall They BE Allowed a state Govern
ment in Utah?


Special CORES pondenceI
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov l9-The Mormons
have done the United States the high honor
of proposing treaty, or, rather, bargain
Put in plain English, this is their proposition
eve have hten violating the anti-polygamy
law OF ls62 for twenty-five years because We
believe the Almighty commanded as to take
extra wives, and the government for long
time made no serious opposition; but now tho
government is putting our best men in the
Ieniteutiary. therefore, If the United States
conares, viii admit L tab as state, we viii
disObey the lnR of God as we understand 70
and abolish polygamy, putting prombitory
clause iu oar state constitution. Ina other
words. dearly beloved, we viii be good II
YOU will bee kind aud let as have our own way
i'm an other mattersn IL is definitely pro-
posed that great government shall sto0p
from its dignity aud make a bargain with
men who begin with an acknowledgement that
they have violated the law heretofore The
proposition that the Mormon, shall abolish
polygamy first aud ask for statehood after
ward is repudiated with scorn
1t is scarcely necessary 10 point out the Oh.
yi0us fact that the state OF Utah, once in tha
Union, could alter It's constitution az will, OF
its legislature ignore theanti polyeamy clause
The proposition gives AS the right 10 examine
Mormon history 10 determine whether they
are sincere. By their own account they be-
gan the practice Of polgamy in Nauyoo, u
linois, iu 1913, pursuant 10 a revelation given
on the l2th OF July Of that year, and about th5
same time they commenced denying theprac.
tice and den0unring IT, In their publications
On the lst Of February. lsH the heads II
the church published i'm The Times and Sea-
SONS. church organ at NauvOo, an Official de-
nuncation Of polgamy. On the 18th of
March following. euIl stronger denial was
published I'm July. i,iJ q specific denial
was issued in The M1ennial Star, the MoI
mon paper m Liverpool, England In May,
ISIS the same organ repeated the denial In
the meantime the Mormons had been driven
from NauyoO. Col Since Gem Thomas
+. Kane. brother of the arctic explorer, trav-
eled with them in Iowa, and was the guest Of
Brigham Young. who solemnly assured him
that the charge of polygamy was vile
Islander. Col Kane certified this TO the
government and American people President
Fillmore accepted his testimony a. correct
and appointed Brigham Young governor ~
Utah In July, 1850, Elder John Taylor,
since president of the Mormon church, off,
cially denied and denounced polyCamy in
France About the same time the Mormon
elders revised and published the Doctrine
and Covenants their official discipline-in
which they inserted n clause denouncing and
forbiddng plurality of wives. All the mis-
siOnaries were instructed % deny the doc
tfine and practice, and did SO in England
with the most solemn oaths. For nine years
-isi3 10 lej2-these official deuials con-
tinued The Mormons now freely admit that
they told and published these falseho0ds 10
deceive the American people and secure fun
control Of the territory, and that a perse-
cuted people IS justified In lying 10 deceive
the Gentiles How can We believe their
present promises' But polygany is only one
reason, and not tie greatest, against admit
ting Utah. the real evil, the distinctiyely un-
American evil, is the theocracy which con-
trols the territory The Momons have de-
clared a thousand times that they do not
want aud will not have an American de-
mocracy; they want ''the kingdom Of God,
administered by his prophets, priests and
apostles And a theocatic despOtsm is one
Of the things the American people are deter
mined not 20 have set up anywhere in this
nation J. b. PAREE.